| Username |
Post |
| president |
Posted
on 13-May-02 02:24 PM
The new GBNC directory: 7th edition, YEAR: 2001-2002 is now ready and available. The directory has the current names, telephone numbers, email and regular addresses of more than 600 Nepalis in Boston.
We would like to thank the following individuals for sponsoring the directory:
Joseph H. Collins
Brigitte Cazalis-Collins
Anu R. Shah
Please contact any GBNC Council member to purchase a coy of the directory.
Bik Yonjan
GBNC President 2001-2002
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| Hemendra |
Posted
on 14-May-02 11:43 AM
Thanks to GBNC Excomm for publishing the directory.
But, why not just mail the directory to members for free (one copy per house/apt)? I know it costs money, but it sure will be a good investment. I wonder how many will know about the existence of the directory and how many will take the trouble of ordering it or purchasing it during GBNC events.
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| president |
Posted
on 14-May-02 01:18 PM
Hemendra,
Mailing the directory to homes is an option and to make it more viable we need more funds. I know you have personally pledged a substantial donation to GBNC. If we can raise additonal funds, we might be able to do things like mail directories to homes. However, at this point, given GBNC's financial status, directory is being looked at more as a means of raising funds than investment/expenditure.
Bik.
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| shiv shrestha |
Posted
on 14-May-02 01:44 PM
Why weren't they distributed at the newyears party ? They were only giving it out to people who were donating money. If they had handed one each while registering for party it would have lot easier. Now you've got this problem....
I asked for one but they asked for money so I walked away.... You should have thought of all this before. This is getting worse than last years committee. And I though last year was bad.....duh
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| president |
Posted
on 14-May-02 02:07 PM
Shiv Shrestha,
I dont think you understood the issue I had raised. We are looking to sell the directory to raise funds for GBNC. We are not looking to give it away for free at this point in time. Sure mailing it costs some money, but that is not the main concern here.
Bik.
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| Shiv shrestha |
Posted
on 14-May-02 02:18 PM
I think if you ask for donation for GBNC people might give them but if you are trying to sell them FOGITABOUTITT. If you could not sell them at the party what makes you think that you can sell it by mail. Besides I have never heard of phone directories for sale. Yo just get them along with the membership. Have you ever heard of paying for your yellow pages ? Normally they would get a couple of people to sponser the cost of printing of the directory(have contributed in the past for dir)...and just hand them out. I still don't get your point... what are we trying to do here ?? In the end you are going to be stuck with all these directories and no one to give them to..Then what are you going to do ?
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| president |
Posted
on 14-May-02 03:14 PM
Perhaps you are right and the directory cant be sold. But, we can at least try!
About donations, it is always the same people who tend to donate. Quite franky, we should not rely on these few (and there are only a few) "givers" to bail out the non paying members of the community every single time. What about responsibility and accountability? If people want a directory, then what is wrong with paying for it? If people dont want to pay for it, then perhaps it should be discontinued.
We have raised money for the directory from vendors and personal contributors. What we are trying to do here is to raise additional funds for GBNC. We cant always do what was done in the past. Past practices did not work well because when this year's team took over the committee, we inherited quite a bit of debt.
Bik.
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| Hemendra |
Posted
on 14-May-02 04:34 PM
GBNC has to raise funds, but the possibility that these directories, with huge amounts of time and effort invested in them, will just sit there, seems like a real one to me. And, that will defeat the whole purpose of printing them, hoina?
If GBNC decides to distribute the directories for free then it might be a good idea to ask Gobind dai at Bombay Market in Somerville for help.
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| NK |
Posted
on 15-May-02 09:04 PM
So, is this the prevalent sentiment what Shiv Shrestha and Hemendra are saying regarding the GBNC directory or just an exception?
Frankly, I don't see any reason why peopole are opposed to paying some small amount of money for this Directory (How much does it cost anyway? It was kind of irritating not to have that information right upfront. Maybe an oversight). GBNC is always strapped for cash, that is what we always hear. It is a wonderful opportunity to raise some money. It requires quite a bit of work and money to get this out. People are giving example of Yellow Page. Please get real. GBNC organization is not a Massachusetts state! This kind of comparison gets us nowhere.
The "logic" that people will not pay to get this directory so it will sit and rot sounds like a self fulfilling prophecy. If you want to help your community in some small way, this is a wonderful opportunity. There has been too many free lunches so to speak. It is time to pay. Unless of course members of this community is sick and tired of giving and giving and giving to various kinds of charities!
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| Shiv Shrestha |
Posted
on 16-May-02 10:08 AM
Nk,
You are missing the point. What I am trying to say is that If you ask for donation for a cause People will be more generous to give. But when the Label FOR SALE is raised it registers pretty different in our human minds. Normally when GBNC asks for funds, they say what its for. I have no problem in paying. I saw the president's point of debt as well. If someone had said that and explained that we are trying to raise money for our debt then people might have had a complete different attitude.
By the way what free lunch are you talking about ??? I don't t ever recall ever receiving a free meal from GBNC ever. Now don't tell me that everytime exe comm. meets they get free lunch at the member's expense.
If there was debt accrued then of course the members would like to know how. And who ? and when ? We should hold the previous board accountable. We should question the Ex presidents how this happened ?
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| Diwas Adhikari |
Posted
on 16-May-02 10:43 AM
All,
How about taking a degree of risk.
1. Mail the directory.
2. Attach a "well written" letter explaining the dire state of GBNC finances and ask for contributions.
I know that not everyone will be responsive (or care), but enough people may just respond with a check contribution. I think it may be something thats worth trying.
On another note:
Is GBNC registered as a non-profit organization ? If not it may be time we start thinking in this term... We may need a task force to do a study on this - I am willing to volunteer if the current ex-comm is interested in exploring this notion further.
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| president |
Posted
on 16-May-02 10:46 AM
If and when we do decide to distribute the directories for free, we will use avenues such as the ones Hemendra has suggested. Thank you Hemendra "dai" :)
Shiv Shrestha, some of your points are well taken. However, I am still not convinced that we should not try and sell the directory. It is $2/copy by the way. At such a rate, there is a small profit which obviously goes into the GBNC account.
The directory may eventually be given away for free, but that will not happen for some time.
Also, I think your points would be better made if you do not pass "smart" comments such as GBNC exec members getting free lunches. I personally know this year's team has made every effort to do things the best they can. We have sacrificed much time, and even money out of our pockets to try and make things happen. So, when we hear smart comments, it does not sit quite well with a few of us including me. So, please make your points without passing on such comments.
I think what people need to understand, and perhaps this is a failure on my part not being able to communitcate properly, is that there is a definite gap between what some people expect out of GBNC and what we can actually provide. Quite honestly, me and few of our exec members are over worked by now. There are only a few of us, and you saw how difficult it was to get people to become executive members during the election. We are not a fine tuned organization clicking perfectly. Quite the contrary. We are trying to make things better given much limitations. So, please dont expect perfection from us. Please be more understanding and be more helpful. Please help us by volunteering your time or by donating funds to GBNC.
Bik.
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| president |
Posted
on 16-May-02 10:54 AM
Diwas,
Very good suggestion. On both points.
GBNC is not YET registered as a non-profit organization and it should be. If you would like to take a lead on this, we would be more than happy. I know you are one of the few members who continually contribute much to GBNC and am glad that you are willing to undertake this task too. NPO registration requires some paperwork and tracking of some legal/tax information, which we have started already. I will contact you within a day or two with more details. Thank you.
Bik.
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| Shiv Shrestha |
Posted
on 16-May-02 10:57 AM
Mr President,
Apologies for questioning your honesty. But I was not the one to bring the point. NK was. I was just curious if it actually happened. I am glad you clarified.
Another point was that I did not know that the Directory was only $2. Cause they asked for $10-15 at the New years event.
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| president |
Posted
on 16-May-02 03:18 PM
$15 was the entrance fee for Baisakhi Saanjh. $2 was the selling price for the directory, and we were also looking for any donations we could collect.
My apologies for any confusion at the door :)
Bik.
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